Alcohols and glucose contain hydrogen but aren’t acids because they don’t produce hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water. This can be demonstrated by an activity that involves checking if the solutions of these compounds conduct electricity.
Here’s a step-by-step activity:
1. Set up the equipment:
Place two carbon electrodes in a beaker and connect them to a battery bulb through a switch and a dry cell.
2. Prepare the solutions:
Prepare solutions of ethanol (an alcohol) and glucose in water.
3. Test the conductivity:
Pour the ethanol solution into the beaker and observe whether the bulb glows when the switch is closed.
4. Repeat with glucose:
Replace the ethanol solution with the glucose solution and repeat the observation.
5. Record observations:
Note that the bulb does not glow with either the ethanol or glucose solutions.
6. Conclusion:
Since the solutions do not conduct electricity, it can be concluded that alcohols and glucose do not produce hydrogen ions in water and are therefore not acids.
Explanation:
Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.
These hydrogen ions are responsible for the acidic properties of the substance.
The presence of these ions also allows the solution to conduct electricity.
Since alcohols and glucose do not ionize to form H+ ions in water, their solutions do not conduct electricity, indicating they are not acidic.